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best soil for pencil cactus Buy 'Pencil Cactus - Euphorbia tirucalli Firesticks' Care and Growing GuideIntroducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli Fire Sticks (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red. Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as Pencil

Introducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Fire Sticks’ (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral-like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil-thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red.

Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as “Pencil Cactus” because of its cactus-like form and upright growth habit. It is also known by several other common names, including fire sticks plant, sticks on fire succulent, fire plant, red pencil tree, milk bush, and Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’.


When exposed to direct sunlight, the tips turn red, which is why they are also called firesticks.

This fast growing evergreen succulent can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, forming a thicket of brilliantly colored vertical stems with loose branches.

The unusual stems of this firestick plant, which are as thin as pencils, have a reddish-golden hue that becomes yellow in the summer and red again in the winter.

The pencil cactus flowers boast vibrant yellow, pink, or orange blooms in the summer and spring, making them a true showstopper in any garden.

The pencil cactus is extremely drought tolerant and hard to kill, and as a result, is a great, low-maintenance, easy-care plant for your home or garden.

You can grow your pencil cactus indoors year-round as a houseplant. If planting outdoors, it's best to do so in the spring when temperatures are warm and stable. This cactus grows faster than many other cacti, making it a striking addition to your garden or home.

If you cut your pencil cactus, be careful—the thick, white sap is toxic and can cause skin irritation, burns, or severe eye irritation if it gets into your eyes. While highly irritating, some cultures have historically used it in traditional medicine for treating growths like warts and tumors, though it is not safe for home remedies. Always wear gloves when handling the plant and wash your hands thoroughly if you come into contact with the sap.

When and How to Water Your Pencil Cactus 

This pencil cactus firestick plant can withstand droughts and doesn't need to be watered frequently to survive. Watering these perennial succulents should be done every 3–4 weeks or when the soil feels dry. Let the soil completely dry out between waterings, and if in doubt, give your fire plant a little more time before watering again.  Less water is needed for humid locations and indoor spaces. Pay attention to how the pencil cactus looks and adjust the watering accordingly.

Remember that succulents in the desert can go for weeks or even months without water, so water them sparingly during their rest phase and moderately during their active growing season.

Pro Tip

Most people like to see the red tips that give this Euphorbia tirucalli its firestick name. Note that it is stress that causes the tips to go red. So, the art is to stress the firestick plant a bit, but not too much. So, give it a lot of light and water it less than other succulents, so it is thirsty but not dying of thirst.

Overwatering can also cause the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' tips to turn red, but it can also lead to root rot and other problems. So, if your pencil cactus is not turning red in full sun, it's possible that it's not experiencing enough stress to produce the anthocyanin pigments or that it's receiving too much water.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Pencil Cactus 

Like most succulents, indoors, the Euphorbia tirucalli firesticks need bright, indirect sunlight to thrive, so choose the brightest area in the house.

Potted indoor pencil cacti require four hours of direct sunlight, which can be achieved by locating them on a sunny south or west-facing windowsill. 

If you are growing these firestick succulents outdoors, make sure that they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.

Partial shade may be tolerated as long as your pencil cactus gets the majority of the sunlight that it needs when it's planted outside. This succulent plant won't thrive if left in the shade for a long time. Its colors become more vibrant the more sunlight it receives.

In order to avoid sunburn, it is preferable to acclimatize your pencil cactus first before moving it outdoors or increasing the amount of sunlight it receives.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The firestick Euphorbia is a succulent plant that likes very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mixGo to soil cactus mix blend 1 gal 4 qt cacti succulent dirt compost growing media that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your Euphorbia firesticks Pencil Cactus to thrive. 

When it comes to fertilizing your pencil cactus plant, it only needs a small amount of fertilizer applied once a year in spring. Cacti prefer a fertilizer with lower doses of NPK, with a maximum ratio of 5-10-5 that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen.

Hardiness Zones & More 

When growing indoors as a houseplant, the Euphorbia firestick can tolerate temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. Your Euphorbia firestick plant performs well in temperatures above 30 °F. However, it can withstand temperatures below that, but only for short periods of time.

In the United States, the Euphorbia tirucalli is mostly an indoor plant, but if you live in southern Florida or Hawaii then you can cultivate it outdoors in USDA zones 10 -11.

Growing these pencil cacti in containers is the best option if you live in an area with harsh winters.

By doing this, you can bring your Pencil Cactus indoors during the winter or any time there's a chance of frost or snow. Normal house humidity is fine for this Euphorbia, but it prefers dry conditions. 

Wildlife - Euphorbia tirucalli Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

The Euphorbia tirucalli flowers attract a variety of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, with their bright colors and sweet nectar. These pollinators play a crucial role in the ecosystem by helping to fertilize plants and promote biodiversity.

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' is mildly toxic to humans and pets. It can irritate the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. However, it is safe to touch as long as precautions are taken to avoid contact with the sap. Wear gloves when handling this plant to prevent any potential skin irritation.

How to Propagate Your Pencil Cactus

When it comes to pencil cactus propagation, one common method is through stem cuttings. Simply take a cutting from a healthy pencil cactus, let it dry for a few days, and then place it in well-draining soil. Another method is through division, where you carefully separate the offsets or side shoots from the main plant and plant them individually.

Key Takeaways

  1. The stems of firesticks are as thin as pencils (hence the name) and turn a fire-red in the winter.
  2. Euphorbia Firesticks is a stunning variety that changes color with the seasons, turning bright red or orange tips in cooler temperatures or full sun.
  3. This succulent has a rapid growth rate, reaching up to 30 feet tall when grown outdoors, with a branching, upright form.
  4. During the spring and summer, the yellow flowers bloom in clusters on the end of the branch, usually for just a few days.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the pencil cactus (Euphorbia Firesticks) is a unique and striking succulent plant that adds a touch of elegance to any space. With its slender, pencil-like stems and vibrant green color, this sticks-on-fire cactus can truly be a showstopper. However, it's important to remember that the pencil cactus is not a true cactus but rather a succulent. It requires minimal care, preferring bright light and well-draining soil. By providing proper pencil cactus care, you'll have a beautiful and unique Euphorbia firestick plant that will thrive for years to come. 

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John Hall
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
The Robin Origin Tale We Needed
Format: Paperback
Hot off The Long Halloween Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return for another murder mystery. This is a direct sequel and follows the aftermath of The Long Halloween. The art is stellar and the story is deep and dark. The trinity of Batman, Dent and Gordon is gone and the isolation is real. At the heart of it, life goes on. Sofia Falcone is back and ready to get revenge. Meanwhile, Dick Grayson's about to go through the darkest chapter of his life. There's a surprise villain who makes a chilling introduction and much more. If you wanted more after Batman: Year One and The Long Halloween, this is the book for you.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2025
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The Blue Thunder Bomb
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
The Best BATMAN Tale since YEAR ONE.
When I first started reading Scott Snyder's run on DETECTIVE COMICS, I was unfamiliar with his work. It seemed like they had just grabbed a new name after arcs done by distinguished writers such as Grant Morrison (which I actually thought was terrible during his RIP arc), Greg Rucka (who did a brilliant job with bringing the character of Batwoman into the fold), and Paul Dini (whose work ranged from not great to just about perfect). Snyder just seemed like a Johnny-Come-Lately, and the previous arc on DETECTIVE had been particularly disappointing, but alas I had faith that another solid arc was due for the Darkknight Detective, so I kept collecting. Nothing could have made me happier, since Snyder and his partners in crime, artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla had crafted the most solid, unified and smartest Batman tale since Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's eponymous BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Not to get too bogged down in plot detail, but essentially, the "Black Mirror" arc begins with Dick Grayson as The Batman (since Bruce Wayne was too busy fighting his way through time... argh...) and he's closing in on a secret auction where 'collectibles' of Gotham's most notorious villains are being sold to an elite crowd of wealthy degenerates, such as Scarecrow's fear gas and the crowbar actually used to beat Jason Todd almost to death. The main villain of the piece is hardly Batman's most powerful enemy, but it does leave some psychic scars on Dick. Next Dick is forced to deal with a dead woman found in an office building. Hardly worth Batman's specific attention, but what is is that the woman's body was found inside a dead killer whale's mouth in an office building. Making matters more complicated is that the woman this murder is sending a message to is actually the daughter of Tony Zucco, the gangster responsible for the death of Dick's parents. While these stories are exciting, well-crafted and beautifully rendered by Jock, we enter a much more personal tale of Commissioner Gordon: the return of his son James Jr., who we haven't seen much of at all in his life. Apparently, James Jr. is a psychotic who is taking a new anti-psychotic medication and hopes to return back to society in some way. This becomes a very personal tale for the Gordon family, including Gordon's ex-wife Barbara and of course his daughter Barbara, formerly Batgirl and now the wheelchair-confined information gatherer Oracle. These interludes are illustrated by the brilliant Francavilla, whose every page looks like it's suitable for framing. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Jr. is not exactly what he seems to be and this leads to a small-scale but highly emotionally charged finale. Scott Snyder did several things in this book that very few before him were able to do successfully. First and foremost, he captured the essence of Dick Grayson bearing the responsibility of being Batman. It's not something he shirks from, but he does feel out of place living in Bruce's penthouse and basically taking the mantle of Batman is no small matter. He is more emotional than Bruce and has more issues with his own fears. Second is that he's one of the few writers to really get the essence of Batman being a detective. While Dick is not as brilliant as Bruce, he was trained by the best, and Batman is not just a machine of brute force dispensing justice with his fists and cool gadgets; he's also considered the world's greatest detective and it's always exciting to see an author with a good handle on that aspect of Batman. Third is Snyder's awareness of Gotham not just being a city, but as being an integral character in the adventures of Batman. There's a darkness to the city that the good people strive to rise above, which is why the partnership of Batman and Jim Gordon has been the lifeline of Gotham's survival. Also on wonderful display here is Snyder's understanding of the supporting cast. He gives all of them equal and necessary life in the story, and has a superb handle on their individual characters. In the few years since Snyder started in this business, first gaining prominence on AMERICAN VAMPIRE (which is another breath of fresh air to a dying genre) and then his work on DETECTIVE gaining him even greater accolades, he has become possibly the best writer currently at DC. Several people, including myself have heralded him as the next Alan Moore. He has an understanding of character, dialogue and structure that is unusual and continually striking. He's been the standout star of DC's "New 52", continuing his work on Batman with as well as bringing back one of DC's greatest horror titles, . He has also continued to establish himself as one of comic's premier horror writers by doing the best horror comic in years over at Image Comics called (you can find my review of that book via that link), as well as doing a mini-event that explores the beginnings of Gotham City in . THE BLACK MIRROR is a Batman classic that people will still be discussing in years to come, as well as his other work in the field. I couldn't suggest more highly picking up any of his books. It doesn't get much better.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2012
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JR. Forasteros
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Dark, Brooding and 100% Batman
This review is super-spoilery. If you haven't read The Black Mirror yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy ASAP. You won't regret it. No matter who we are, we can't escape our past. Where we've come from and who we've been leave indelible marks on us. Nowhere is this more true than Gotham City, and in Batman: The Black Mirror, Scott Snyder gives us a glimpse into the Darkness that lies at the core of the city. If you're not a regular Batman reader, you may not know that everyone in the DC Comics universe thought Bruce Wayne was dead for a while. While he was gone, Dick Grayson - the original Robin - took up the mantle of the Batman. After Bruce Wayne's return, he kept Dick as the new Gotham City Batman.* Black Mirror is actually a story featuring Dick Grayson - not Bruce Wayne - as the Batman. Snyder's story is one of the best Batman stories I've ever read. It's a dark, brooding and good, old-fashioned detective story. And it actually works better with Dick instead of Bruce under the cowl. That's a writing feat nothing short of miraculous. Snyder's Gotham is a monstrous city that seeks to poison everyone in it. It turned both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson into masked vigilantes. Dick was the child of circus acrobats who were murdered in Gotham. He was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who lost his own parents to Gotham criminals and trained Dick to become Robin. Eventually Dick outgrew the Robin persona and became Nightwing, working in a city near Gotham. Joining Dick in the spotlight of Black Mirror is Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, who's no less a victim of Gotham's darkness than Dick. He and his first wife Barbara have a son named James, Jr., who left with Barbara when she and Jim divorced. Jim also has a niece named Barbara who came to live with him after her parents died. Barbara dated Dick in high school, and she became the first Batgirl. In Alan Moore's epic The Killing Joke, the Joker shoots Barbara in the stomach, paralyzing her. In a wheelchair, she's now the Oracle. She serves as the information hub for Batman, Robin and their allies. The Black Mirror introduces us for the first time to the adult James, Jr., who has returned to Gotham searching for a second chance. We learn from his suspicious father that James, Jr. is a clinical psychopath: he doesn't feel typical human emotion (yes, just like Dexter). But he comes claiming to be on a new medication that stimulates the brain to produce the chemicals psychopaths lack. He reveals that he's volunteering at Dr. Leslie Thompkins' free clinic. Jim Gordon is suspicious, distrustful. But he can't stop himself from being hopeful, too. Is it possible that his son has found peace and even redemption? Snyder keeps us guessing about James, Jr.'s true nature through the whole book. We feel the tension Jim Gordon feels, torn as he is between Oracle's pessimism and Dick's optimism. Barbara is convinced that James, Jr. is a monster who can and will never change, while Dick is hopeful. And so with this tension established, Snyder asks us a most basic question: can we be anything other than what we have been? We meet Sonja Branch, the estranged daughter of the mobster who killed Dick's parents. A wealthy, successful executive, Dick wonders to Jim Gordon if she's as upstanding as she seems. Dick muses that "it's nice to know that maybe, once in a blue moon, the apple does fall far from the tree in Gotham." The expression on Jim Gordon's face as he echoes, "Once in a blue moon," reveals that he's still wondering about James, Jr. An old case has led Jim to reflect on his son to wonder yet again what made him the way he is. To wonder what he could've done differently. He concludes that Gotham is fundamentally sick. He wonders to Dick: Do you ever feel like... like the more good you do or try to do for people out there, for strangers, the more the ones close to you, the ones you love, get hurt? ...I don't mean in general. I mean here. In Gotham... I'm talking about the damn bedrock. There are times I feel a dark heart down there, Dick. A dark, malformed heart. Since Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, the Batman mythology has suggested that Gotham's villains arise as a response to the Batman's presence. The Joker of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is comatose, awaking only when news breaks that the Batman has returned to Gotham. And Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight laughs that Batman thinks Joker wants him dead - the Batman completes Ledger's Joker. But Snyder dares to step beyond this to suggest that it's Gotham, the city itself that creates both the heroes and the monsters. Gotham created the Batman just as it created the Joker. Gotham created Robin by murdering Dick's parents. And now that Dick is the Batman, we learn that Gotham has been creating a new nightmare just for him. Dick's opposite, his dark mirror, isn't the Joker. That surprise comes when we finally meet the newly-escaped Clown Prince of Crime after Batman tracks him down. The Joker knows instantly, chastising Batman: Do you even know what Gotham means, little bird? ...It means a safe place for goats! And do you know what preys on goats? Bats. The bat makes the goat sick. But every bat does this in its own way. And you, you're not my bat! So what sickness has arisen as a response to Dick's new Batman? By the time we reach Snyder's gut-wrenching, perfectly, agonizingly timed reveal, we realize it could have been no one else but James, Jr. James, Jr. is a pure, true psychopath. He's reversed his medications - instead of stimulating the brain to produce more of the drugs that give us emotions, James, Jr.'s drug suppresses them. His master plan - an eerie successor to the Joker's inaugural caper - is to drug a factory in Gotham that manufactures infant formula. James, Jr.'s goal is to create a generation of psychopaths, to remake Gotham's children in his own image. He calmly explains as much to Dick as he tortures his cousin, Barbara: Gotham is a city of nightmares... in the truest sense because what's a nightmare if it isn't a warning? A vision of yourself at your weakest... Batman - the real one - he shapes Gotham out of an obsession... but you new crop, you do it out of compassion. Out of empathy. Out of weakness... And out of all of them, Dick, you're the weakest. [Gotham] is a city of nightmares, and I'm yours. I'm the face you see in the glass. A man with no conscience. No empathy. Gotham made me to challenge you... I am Gotham's son. And the city made me so I could help usher in a new generation of children. Dick proves that his compassion is more a weapon than a weakness, thwarting James, Jr. (probably). But Black Mirror leaves us with an unsettled, uneasy sense that this fight is darker and longer than we thought. We start to wonder if the Batman's quest is actually winnable, in the end. But Dick Grayson never wonders. That's what separates him from the James, Jrs. of the world. That's what separates him even from Bruce. This is a different Batman. Full of optimism. Playful - he makes jokes and teases his teammates. Dick's Batman is at once totally different from Bruce's and at the same time wholly Batman. Most importantly, Dick is hopeful. And it's ultimately that hope that lifts us up over even a surprisingly ambiguous ending. Dick said it perfectly early in the book: I couldn't understand why Bruce... always chose to drive through the streets, moving on the ground... when he could've just soared above it all. But I get it now. Because even back then he understood that Gotham is a place you can never get above, a place you can never see clearly... I can't help it, though. I'm built differently. Because there's something about seeing Gotham from the sky that energizes me, gives me hope, if only for a moment before I come back down to earth. Dick hopes that Gotham can be better. It's a hope that transcends anything even Bruce has. And it's that hope that draws him and those around him - like Jim and Barbara to fight the good fight. Bottom Line: Whether you're a long-time fan of the Batman or only know The Dark Knight, Snyder's book is a must read. The characters are amazing. The plot is fantastic. The art is breathtaking. From start to finish, The Black Mirror is a sterling example of the literary power of comics you'll want to read over and over again. *Since DC Comics has rebooted their entire franchise, none of this is the case anymore. Bruce is back to being the Batman and Dick Grayson has returned to his role as Nightwing.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2011
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Rich Stoehr
Draper, US
★★★★★ 4
Reflections of the Dark Knight
A new Batman, a new villain, an old city, and lots of familiar faces. 'The Black Mirror' is a potent formula, and for the most part very effective. But, I have to say at the outset, it's difficult to read a Batman story without Bruce Wayne. Scott Snyder brings all his considerable skill to bear in writing this multifaceted tale of a Gotham City finding its way, Dick Grayson trying so hard to fill the cowl of Bruce Wayne with new partners, and a long-forgotten piece of Commissioner Jim Gordon's past come back to haunt him. There's a lot to this story, and Snyder spins it with the same wit, the same grasp of history and literature, and the same subtleties of craft as he has evidenced with the excellent 'American Vampire.' For all its newness, it's clear that Snyder "gets" the Batman, gets the importance of Gotham City as a place and as a character in its own right, gets the history of those who've come before him, and pumps all of this into the overall arc of 'The Black Mirror.' And yet part of me can't let go - where's the Batman I know? Similarly, artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla get the look and feel of Batman. Despite pretty dramatically different styles - Jock's harsh and jagged and nearly monochromatic, Francavilla's more colorful and less edgy - they both show well here, and the material they illustrate is well-suited to their talents. Jock expresses the drama and the darkness of the Batman, Francavilla expresses the more human side of both heroes and villains alike. For a story this complex - a story of drugs and madmen and broken families and long-held grudges - both have their piece to contribute, and they do it well. And something still feels like it's missing. It's a little like reading 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' in the parts where Holmes is absent from the story. Watson is a fine investigator, and pushes the story forward in his own way, and it's still a good story. But it feels less driven, less exciting, less complete, until Holmes' return, with all his fire and fervor, to wrap the case up with his signature panache. I kept waiting, in 'The Black Mirror,' for that moment. When Bruce Wayne returned and righted that world and brought it all back into sharp perspective. Though there were many satisfying moments to be experienced...that moment never came. 'The Black Mirror' is aptly named. It reflects aspects of Gotham City and its denizens, both those who fight for it and those who would bring it crashing down, in new and original ways. It makes us see things we haven't seen before. Scott Snyder and Jock and Francavilla represent well here, and have created a finely-crafted addition to the ongoing story of Batman. But a reflection of a thing is not the thing itself, and that difference was felt here. A slight warping of the glass, or a flaw in its surface gave it away. Though his reflection was seen in the black mirror, the Batman was not to be found here. And that was hard to get past.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
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Gregory Cox
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
The Greatest Batman Story Ever Written by Scott Snyder
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Known about this volume for a long time, but I kept putting it off and just managed to finally read it a few days ago. And the first thing that came to my mind after I finished the last page and closed the comic was "Wow, that was a really good story". And I really think that sums it up perfectly, but i'll expand to give a more thorough review. Scott Snyder is the current writer of the main Batman comic book series (Though his run is nearly at an end now), which is where the brunt of my experience with him comes from. I've read another comic by him set around the same time period that this one takes place in (Batman Gates of Gotham) and I honestly wasn't impressed with it. Definitely one of his weaker showings. This one makes up for that and then some however. The Batman featured in this, and the previous, story is Dick Grayson (Robin #1, Nightwing, and currently Agent 13 over in Grayson). Naturally, you'd expect Dick Grayson to be a different character than Bruce Wayne, and Snyder gets this. The entire story really deals with the idea that it is Dick wearing the cape and cowl and crafts an adventure that is made for him and how he would personally deal with it. He makes some mistakes here and there, but also has a lot of success specifically because of who he is. I think the stories told in this work are exciting and full of a good amount of action and character development. Snyder has a tendency in my opinion to only focus on one overarching story, which I don't personally prefer. He avoids that here. There is one massive story being told, with one main villain at its core who is responsible for pulling our heroe's strings, but between that and the start of the story are numerous other adventures as well, with different characters and villains, who have their own motivations. I appreciate this because it's just nice to see our hero fighting against so many different people throughout the story. This also isnt' solely Dick's story. I'd say that it's as much Jim Gordon's as it is Batman's this time around, with the major villain striking really close to home. This adds a sense of emotion and tragedy to the story which you don't often see. Further more, this story is creepy. That's actually something that I don't think can be said about the majority of Batman stories out there. It's dark, depressing, and genuinely creepy at points, capable of chilling you to the bone. It's a solid change of pace and I loved it. Despite the fact that we don't get our traditional Batman in this I would honestly rate this as one of the greatst Batman stories of all time and highly recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016

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